Automatic regulator for storage-battery systems of distribution.



No. 693,863. Patnted Feb. 25, |902.

C. H.V HLDERRIETHF" AUTUMATIC REGULATOR F08 vS'lWRAGE "BATTERY SYSTEMS 0F DISTRIBUTIUN.

(Application led June 2.1, 1901.)

TH: mams PETERS co, PHoTau-rnc.. wAsmuToy. D. c.

VUNTTED STATES PATENT cHARLEs H. T-TOLDERRIETi-I, OE BROOKLYN', NEW YORK, AssToNOR To UNITED'sTATEs BATTERY COMPANY, OE NEW YORK, NgY., A OOR- PORATTON OE NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR TOR STORAGE-BATTERY SYSTEMS OTl DISTRIBUTION.

l.srEcrErrA'rrON forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,863, dared February 25, 190s.

Application led .Tune 2l., lQOl. Serial No. 65.386. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern: tween the bars A and A'. Asvthe number of Be it known that I, CHARLES H. HOLDER- translating devices in the circuit is varied or RIETH, a citizen of the United States, residing other conditions occur to increase or reduce at the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of such difference of potential the contact D 5 Kings and State of New York, have invented must be` moved so as to cut out or include 55 certain new and useful Improvementsin Aumore or vless of the battery-cells, as the case tomatic Regulators for Storage-Battery Sysmay be, to compensate for such variations, tems of Distribution, of which the following and the problem which kI have solved by the is a specification, reference being had to the present apparatus is to effect this operation ro drawing accompanying and forming a-part automatically. 6o

of the same. The contact D is composed of a plate or bar The invention subject ofmy present aphaving carbon brushes 0I d at its ends, 011e plication for patent is an improvementin arranged to travel incontact with the bar C,

switches or regulators for storage-battery sys'- the other over the terminal plates h b of a certems of distribution of the general class detain number of end cells of the battery B. 65 signed to maintain a constant potential be- Movement is imparted to the contact D by a tween the main-line or battery terminals by screw-shaftEengaging with a threaded porthrowing in or out ofcircuit more or less of tion of the contact and driven by anuelectrowhat are termed the endlcclls to compenmagnetic 7motor F through a train of gearzo sate for variations in the battery or line and wheels F. The direction of lateral move- 7o is an automatic device for this purpose. ment of the contact D is determined by the The primary object ofthe invention is to direction of rotation of the motor, and a speprovde an apparatus which is capable of percial device is employed which prevents it from forming its intended function of automatic coming to rest at any other points'in its path 'regulation with accuracy and certainty and than on one of the terminal plates b. This 75 in a manner which adapts it for practical use, device consists of a diskc, geared with the conditions which, so far as I am aware, have shaft E so as to make one complete revolunot been fulfilled by any of the devices heretion while the contact D is moving from the tofore proposed for this purpose. center of one terminal plate b to the center 3o I shall describe theplan of construction of the next adjacent plate. Two brushes or 8o and principle of Operation of my improved contactsdd bear upon the disk o, which conapparatus by reference to the accompanying tains an insulating section e in the path of drawing, specifically pointing out `by the one brush, andthese parts are so arranged claims the features of novelty which. myin-l that when once the motor has started its cirvention involves. y' cuit will not be interrupted until the'requi- 85 The drawing is a diagrammatic illustration site number of cells have been switched in or of the apparatus and such portions of the oirout, and not then until the contact d bears cuits as are immediately connected with the on the insulating portion eof the disk c, which improvement. 1 A portion of the latter corresponds to the nor- 4ol A A are the main conductors or busmal positions of rest of the contact D. 9o

bars of a circuit'supplied with current fromy v The iustrumentalities and circuits for cona series of storage-battery cells B, one of said trolling the operation of these devices are as conductors or bars, as A, being permanently follows: I connected with one battery-terminal byawire G is a solenoid in a circuity 3 between the l and the other through wire 2 and conductmains A A', including a resistance G'. The 95 ing-plate C with a movable contact D, which core of this solenoid is connectedI withanl admay be placed so as to include all of the batjustable pivoted lever g, having a downtery-cells or any such number of the same Wardly-,eXtending end that dips into a. merless than vthe Whole as may be necessary to Oury-cup g and oscillating between two con- 5o maintain a given difference of potential betactstops4 and 5.` H H' are two other-solen- Too oid-magnets, the coils of which are in series in a normally closed circuit between the two mains A and A', formed by the wire 6. Each solenoid is provided with a movable core K K', carrying or operatinga circuit-controlling device of the kind hereinafter described, and which by the magnetizing action of one of the two coils h h' of which each solenoid is composed are normally attracted and held in their highest position. Let it now be assumed that the potential between the mains A and A'Yrises, to compensate for which a certain number of battery cells must be switched outof circuit. The solenoid Ggains power and draws up its core, lowering the lever g into contact with stop 5 and completing the circuit between the cup g' and said stop. The following then results: The current from one of the mains, as A', flows through the wire 6 to the point 7, where it divides, one portion fiowing as normally through the coil 7L, the other through a second and oppositely-wound coil 7c, surrounding coil 7L, and thence following the course indicated by the numerals 8 to the contactstop 5. From thence the path is completed by the wires numbered 9 back to the wire 6, which latter it joins at a point between the two coils 7i and 7L'. This current neutralizes the attraction effect of the solenoid H and allows the core K to descend and complete two circuits through a series of mercury-cups or their equivalents, one a branch of the controlling-circuit, including the disk c and contacts d d, and the other including in series the field and armature of the motor and an electromagnetic brake M. This latter is or may be an ordinary solenoid and core which is held up by the current against the force of a spring m, but which acts upon the interruption of the current by frictional engagem-ent with a disk N on the shaft E to check the motor of said shaft as soon as current through the motor ceases.

The course of the two circuits just referred to may be easily traced. The current from one of the mains, as A', passes through wire 10, which, as will be seen, includes the brake M and the armature of the motor F, until it reaches one of the mercuryrcups bridged by the contact 14. Thence it passes by wire 11 to and through the field-coil L of the motor and back to one of the two mercury-cups bridged by contact 12 and from the other of these cups by wire 13 to the wire 6 and through the latter to the other main A. As long, therefore, as this circuit remains closed the motor will operate to cut out batterycells, and thus lower the potential between the mains A and A', but in order that the contact D may not stop in a position in which it bridges two contacts b, as it might do by the movement of the lever gin case no special provisions were made to t-he contrary. The solenoid H is also caused to close another circuit, which is as follows: from the main A' and wire 6 to the point 7, thence through the neutralizing-coil 7s of solenoid Il, thence through wire 8 to the point 15, thence through wire 16 to one of the mercury-cups bridged by the contact 17, thence from the other cup by wire 18 to the contact d, through the disk c, and thence by contact (Z'and wire 19 back to wire G. This circuit, it will be observed, forms ashunt around the mercurycups g' and stops 5, and having been closed by the movement of the'motor which brings both contacts d d' onto the conducting portion of the disk c keeps the solenoid out of action even after the interruption of the controlling-circuit by the lever g until the contact D is over the center of one of the terminal contacts B. Should the potential fall between mains A and A', the lever g makes contact with stops 4 and if the circuits be traced it will be found that while solenoid l-I is not affected solenoid H' will be neutralized and the same operations as above described will be carried out, with the exception that the current through the field and armature of the motor is reversed, causing the motor to rotate in the opposite direction.

It will be noticed that the circuit formed by wire 10 and including the motor is completed at two points through switches T and T', and also that the controlling-circuit through wire 8, its corresponding circuit controlled by solenoid Il', are similarly completed through the same switches T and T', respectively. The purpose of this arrangement is as follows: Each switch T T' is a lever mounted upon a pivot and acted upon by a spring s, which tends to keep it in its normal position, bridging the contacts necessary for completing the reversal circuits above described. One arm of each lever T T' extends into the path of the contact D and near the ends of such path, respectively. Should the contact D from any cause be carried too far-say to the right-in switching out cells,it encounters the lever T', and moving the same throws one of its legs t off from contacts 20 21 and breaks the circuit through wire S. Should it still continue to travel for a short distance, it throws the other leg t' off from the under contacts 22 23 and breaks the motor-circuit, this last-named operation being merely a precautionary measure, for if from any canse current in the controlling-circuit 8 should continue to flow after it should have ceased its interruption by the movement of the switch T' will generally be sufficient to arrest the motor at once.

It will be seen that the operation of either switch '1 or T which breaks one of the controlling-circuits does not affect theV other, so that the contact D is free to move in the opposite direction. As soon as it does so move out of engagement with the switch the latter is thrown back to its normal position by the operation of its spring.

In the drawingl have shown the complete apparatus as it would be used in a station; but I have omitted description of such parts IOO IIO

as do not form an essential part of the apparatus, such as the switches P R, fuses, resistance-lamps, and the like which are commonly used in such systems.

I am aware that apparatus more or less automatic in character has heretofore been devised or proposed for accomplishing the same general object-viz., the regulation of potential by varyin g the number of cells in circuitwhich is contemplated in my invention. My improvements herein are distinguished by the use of apparatus constructed and combined in a more practicable manner.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a storage-battery-controlling apparat-us the combination ofa switch for varying the number of cells in circuit, a motor for operating the same, two circuit-controlling magnets for directing current through the motor in opposite directions and normally prevented from operation by being energized, a device responsive to variations in potential between the mains and circuits controlled thereby and adapted when completed to neutralize the two circuit-controlling magnets respectively, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a storage-battery-controlling apparatus the combination with a switch for varyingA the number of cells in circuit, and a motor for operating the same, of two motorcircuit-controlling magnets, each having two opposed windings the one in a normally closed circuit the other in a circuit completed through normally open contacts, and a device responsive to variations in potential between the mains for controlling said contacts, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. In a storage-battery-controlling apparatus the combination with a switch for varying the number of cells in circuit, a motor for operating the same, controlling-circuits and means responsive to variations in poten- 

